Fried Okra

So how about some okra?!!

Hello?

Maybe the Internet is off today.

I get the sense that there's no love for okra. Yup, there's definitely some anti-okra energy in the room. And I'm thinking it might have something to do with the texture, amiright?

Slimy mouthfeel? Check.

Gooey centers oozing onto my knife? Check!

Mucousy strings as I pull the knife away? Double check!!

So fine, yes, okra is gross. Let's just put that out there. It's disgusting. I mean, if I wanted my food to look like it was covered in snot, I would have had kids.

Wait a minute.

But the thing is that okra is delicious. It tastes great! So I try to counteract the sliminess with a counterpoint of crunchiness. In other words, I dredge the chunks in cornmeal, then fry them in oil and salt them generously. That's it! Husband calls it popcorn okra. The kids are unfooled, but will choke it down since dessert is on the line. Still, Husband and I would happily watch a movie with a bucket full of this stuff passed between us, and the only problem would be agreeing on the movie.

Speaking of movies, any recommendations? Because Husband hasn't been a fan of what I've been bringing home from the library lately, and I'd rather blame you guys.

Comments

[April was in CT now CA]

Mmmm, I love okra! I hope you're sitting down before reading what I am about to say, but I even love it boiled. I grew up eating fresh okra from my grandparents garden and if Nanny cooked it, you ate it! We'd often have lunch with nothing but fresh from the garden veggies and boiled okra was one of my favorites. I could pop fried okra like popcorn, too. Nom, freakin' nom nom!

[NancyJ]

Husband's family is from Oklahoma and he LOVES okra. I will have to smother it and fry it up one of these days. I have no idea what it tastes like.

[cycler]

I looooove okra, and seriously considered begging for unwanted portions at the CSA this week.
Fried is obviously a tasty way to go, but I generally use my precious CSA okra to make Bhindi Masala- which is a dry stirfry of Okra with Indian spices like black mustard seed, cardamom and cumin with hot peppers and curry leaves. I personally don't mind a bit of slime, but for this recipe you dry fry it for 15 minutes or so until the slime has essentially dried up and been caramelized, so it appeals to the slime haters.

[Susanna]

I love it but have never tried cooking it. Maybe it's time. YUM. Also the Fighter was a good crowd-pleaser here.

[Cindy]

I made a lot of okra last summer. One of Bittman's recipes had me soaking it in buttermilk before breading it. No slime. Tasty.

We watched a couple entertaining movies recently: Limitless and Youth in Revolt. Favorite movies of the past couple years include Lars & the Real Girl and Kenny.

[Molly]

I love okra, and it is one of the only summer vegetables my kids will eat. They love it fried, but a simpler way (that they also LOVE) is roasting it whole in a 400 degree oven drizzled with a little olive oil--eat it with your fingers. But, at least one of my kids will also eat it raw.

[Robert Prestidge]

I have to try this! Got turned onto okra a couple years ago. This looks really good!

[sunny12]

okra is a favorite amongst east-indian kids, maybe b/c it is well fried. my mom taught me the secret--slice into rounds, pan fry it with indian spices and salt and then add a generous amt of mango powder to get rid of ooziness. yum!